University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


OPENING  DAY.      ITEMS  FOR  VISITORS. 


Bancroft's  New  Building, 

721   Market  Street,  San  Francisco ',  July  30,  1870. 

MANUFACTURING  AND  MERCANTILE. 


BOOKS,   STATIONERY,   PRINTING,  BINDING,    ENGRAVING, 
S  TAMPING,  LlTHO  GRAPHING. 

FIRST  FLOOR.  —The  effect  produced  by  this  room,  taken  as  a 
whole,  as  the  door  is  entered,  is  worthy  of  notice.  The  room  is  35  feet 
wide  by  170  long.  Our  eastern  visitors  pronounce  it  more  elegant  than 
anything  of  the  kind  elsewhere  in  the  United  States,  and  Bayard  Taylor, 
whose  extensive  travels  and  literary  attainments  certainly  render  him 
a  competent  judge,  says  that  it  is  unsurpassed  in  the  world. 

The  right  side  is  occupied  by  Miscellaneous  Stationery,  and  the 
left  by  Books. 


The  Balconies  enable  us  to  make  available  the  whole  side  walk 
for  shelving. 

On  each  side  of  the  room  in  front  are  upright  show  cases,  for 
Books  in  fine  bindings.  In  the  horizontal  show  case  on  the  left,  is  a 
collection  of  Books  in  "tree  calf"  London  binding.  In  that  on  the 
right,  opposite,  are  specimens  of  very  fine  English  stamping ;  also, 
Wedding  Invitations,  Visiting  Cards,  etc.  Work  of  the  same  kind  we 
are  now  doing  on  the  fifth  floor 

The  first  desk  as  you  go  towards  the  rear,  is  that  of  the  Retail 
Department.  On  the  shelves,  back  of  it,  are  works  of  Poetry  and 
Fiction,  and  on  the  balcony  above,  History,  Biography,  Travels, 
Religion,  Belles  Lettres,  Science,  etc.,  etc. 

At  the  next  desk,  right  hand  side,  the  Law  Department  is 
located,  with  the  stock  of  Law  Books  placed  on  the  shelves  on  the 
balcony  above,  and  Law  Blanks  and  Law  Stationery  near  at  hand. 
On  the  counter  beyond,  are  samples  of  our  own  Pacific  Coast  Law 
Books,  and  of  the  latest  eastern  works. 

On  the  opposite  side,  and  farther  along,  is  the  desk  of  the 
Wholesale  Department.  The  stock  for  this  department  is  located 
over  the  most  of  the  Building.  The  goods  are  packed  in  the  basement. 

At  the  same  desk  is  situated  the  Educational  Department,  and 
just  opposite  is  kept  a  retail  slock  of  everything  used  by  school 
children,  and  where  several  thousand  of  them  have  been  fitted  out  with 
their  "  tools  "  to  work  with  the  present  school  term.  The  bulk  of  this 
stock  is  kept  in  the  basement. 

Opposite  the  School  Books  is  the  stock  of  Medical  Books,  which 
are  in  charge  of  the  Retail  Department.  Immediately  in  front  of  the 
Medical  Books  are  the  stairs  leading  to  the 

BASEMENT,  in  which  is  located  the  Boiler  and  Engine  which 
supplies  power  for  the  machinery  on  the  third  and  fourth  floors,  and 
where  the  '« sheet  stock"  is  kept;  also,  the  stock  of  School  Books, 
Subscription  Books,  Letter  and  Seal  Presses,  Ink,  Slates,  etc.,  etc., 
and  where  the  goods  for  the  interior  are  packed  for  shipment.  The 
steam  elevator  is  not  yet  ready,  so  we  are  obliged  to  ask  our  visitors  to 
retrace  their  steps  and  proceed  to  the 


SECOND  FLOOR. — At  the  head  of  the  stairs  are  the  offices  of 
the  Cashier,  Book-Keepers,  etc.  Please  turn  to  the  right  and  pass  to 
wards  the  Market  Street  front.  On  this  side  is  kept  the  stock  of  Our 
Blank  Books.  It  is  all  manufactured  on  the  fourth  floor,  and  is  in 
ferior  to  none  made  in  the  Eastern  States  or  Europe. 

In  the  center  of  this  floor  is  stacked  up  the  stock  of  Bancroft 
Paper  made  expressly  for  us  in  New  England. 

At  the  front  on  this  floor  are  rooms  for  the  use  of  authors  while 
examining  their  proofs,  etc.;  and,  also,  is  located  the  Subscription 
Department,  from  which  some  hundreds  of  canvassers  obtain  their 
supplies  of  Books,  Maps,  Pictures,  etc.,  which  they  sell  by  subscription 
to  the  people  of  the  entire  coast.  Samples  of  the  books  only  are  kept 
here,  the  stock  being  in  the  basement.  On  the  opposite  side  from  the 
Blank  Books  is  the  stock  of  Bancroft  Envelopes,  and  further  along 
Law  and  Mercantile  Blanks  in  boxes.  On  this  side,  near  the  Stevenson 
Street  front,  is  the  door  to  the  stairs  which  lead  to  the 

THIRD  FLOOR,  which  is  occupied  by  the  Printing  and 
Lithographing  Department.  The  compositors  occupy  the  rear,  the 
Presses  in  the  center  and  the  Lithographing  the  front.  Here  the 
the  tickets  for  the  great  Gift  Concert  of  the  Mercantile  Library,  have 
just  been  finished.  Passing  through -the  door  at  the  front,  the  hall  is 
entered  and  the  stairs  ascended  to  tr^e 

FOURTH  FLOOR,  occupied  by  the  Blank  Book  Manu 
factory  and  Book  Bindery.  The  process  of  marbling  the  edges  of  the 
books  and  the  ruling,  paging  and  other  machines,  will  probably  interest 
most  of  our  visitors.  All  kinds  of  Binding  is  done  here  from  a  single 
pamphlet  or  volume  of  music  to  large  editions  of  massive  "  quartos." 

THE  FIFTH  FLOOR,  in  front,  is  occupied  by  the  Engraving 
and  Stamping  Department,  where  seals,  initial  letters,  monograms, 
etc.  are  designed,  engraved  and  stamped.  Also  wedding  invitations, 
visiting  cards,  checks,  bill  heads,  letter  heading,  etc.,  etc.  are  engraved 
on  copper  and  printed. 

Communication  between  the  different  floors  is  greatly  facilitated  by 
a  system  of  speaking  tubes. 


To  Our  Friends, 

Our  business  was  established  in  1856,  with  the  view  to  supply  the 
literary  wants  and  to  develop,  to  the  extent  of  our  ability,  the  literary 
tastes  of  a  new  and  isolated  community,  by  circulating  among  the  people 
of  this  coast  the  productions  of  the  press  throughout  the  world.  To  keep 
pace  and  even  to  be  in  advance  of  the  literary  demands  of  our  peo 
ple  has  been  our  constant  aim,  whether  it  is  still  our  purpose,  our  friends 
may  judge  by  the  establishment  which  we  present  to  their  inspection 
to-day.  Comprehensiveness  and  systematic  arrangement  have  been  the 
chief  characteristics  of  the  business  from  the  start.  All  branches  of 
the  trade  have  been  united,  each  branch  being,  however,  under  the 
control  of  a  responsible  head,  and  new  departments  being  added  from 
time  to  time  to  meet  the  growing  wants  of  the  public.  Thus  beginning 
with  the  simple  sale  of  imported  books  and  stationery,  the  establish 
ment  of  the  various  departments  of  manufacturing,  publishing,  sale  of 
books  by  subscription,  that  the  best  books  of  the  best  authors  might 
be  carried  to  the  very  homes  of  the  people  ;  publication  and  sale  of 
Law  Books  which  has  become  a  business  of  itself;  specialty  of  Blank 
Books,  School  Books,  Job  Printing,  Engraving,  Stamping  and  Lithog 
raphy,  following  each  other  in  rapid  succession  have  combined  to  form 
the  tout  ensemble,  which  we  submit  for  your  aprobation. 

The  Pacific  Slope  has  begun  to  take  her  proper  position  in  the 
estimation  of  ttle  civilized  world.  All  unite  in  predicting  a  glorious 
future.  That  the  literary  progress  of  our  State  and  Coast  may  be  in  no 
respect  inferior  to  their  commercial  strides,  will  be  our  future  aim. 

We  are  now  better  situated  than  ever  before  to  supply  every 
thing  in  our  line  that  can  be  desired  by  an  intelligent  community. 
We  understand  the  changes  which  close  connection  and  competition 
with  the  East  and  Europe  have  effected  and  will  surely  effect  in  the 
business  of  California.  Our  prices  will  always  be  the  lowest.  We 
have  fitted  up  our  new  building  at  great  expense,  and  offer  it  to  you  as 
a  general  resort  for  lovers  of  books.  Thanking  you  sincerely  for  your 
patronage  in  the  past,  and  your  visit  to  our  establishment  to-day,  we 
venture  to  hope  that  the  attractions  will  be  found  sufficient  to  cause  a 
frequent  repetition  of  your  visits  in  the  future. 

A.  L.  BANCROFT  &  CO. 


OPT 
B  H  M  o~  T 


You  are  respectfully  iwvitetH  to  be  present  <at  the  opening  of 
BAN<CMQ1FT8>  NMW  MOOJK  AND  STATIQNJEMY,  MJEMCANTI1LM 
AND  MANUWACTUMIN®  JESTAlBJLIgttMlENT,  N®.  7%1  Wmrket 
Street)  San  JFr<mneise€>?  dnriniy  the  day  mndl  evening  of 
ThirUeth, 


H,  H*  BANCROFT. 

A.  JL. 


His 


No  business  will  be  transacted  €>ya  th<mt 


N.  J.  STONE,   Manager  of  the   Wholesale  Department. 

JAMES  T.    WHITE,   Manager  of  the  Retail    Department. 

FRED   P.   STONE,   Manager  of  the  Law   Department. 

T.  C.  SMITH,   Manager  of  the  Subscription   Department. 

F.   H.   SWETT,   Manager  of  the  Educational   Department. 

GEO.   L.   KENNY.  H.  L.   OAK.  Gen'l.  J.   C.   SULLIVAN 

WALTER   TURNBULL,    Manager  of  the  Printing  and   Lithographing  Department. 
W.    VALLANCE  GRAY,   Lithographic  Artist. 

WM.    B.   COOKE,   Manager  of  the  Bindery  and  Blank   Book   Manufactory. 
A.   W     STOTT,    Steel  and  Copper  Plate  Engraver, 

And  the    One    Hundred    and    Six   Employees,    in    the    Mercantile    and     Manufacturing 
branches    of  the    business. 


